Electric signal.



. P. LANCASTER L 1A L. STRUHR@ l .Y ELECTRIC SIGNAL. 12165820. www "LED ^P29 94- Patented Feb, 20, 1917.

UNTTED STATEs PATENT THEoDoEE r. LANCASTER, oF BOSTON, AND JAMES L. sTnUTHEns, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2o, 1917.

'Application mea April 29, 1914. serial No. 835,205.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, TIIEoDonE P. LAN- CASTER and JAMES LENOX STRUTHERS, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and Lynn, in the county of Essex, respectively, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clfar, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toA Amake and use the same.

This invention relates to electric signals and while the construction is capable of gen=` views;

Figure l is a rear elevation of an automobile having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is au end view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the indicating or si aling mechanism, the cover as shown in Fig. 2 being removed;

Fig. eis a top plan view of the structure seen in Fig.3; l Y

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section showl ing the operating mechanism for controlling the signal plates;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus and wiring therefor. The general aim of the presentinvention is to provide within a suitable housing a plurality of pivoted plates actuated by magnetically operated levers soas to be raised into signaling position, the system oflevers employed for actuating the plate serving as a Asupport for' the plate and also moving so as to prevent any sticking of the plate.

.An electric lamp is located adjacent each signalingplate and is placed in a circuit in multiple with the magnet so that said 11ght will become incandescent b-..fore the mechanical structure has had time to raise the signaling plate into signaling position, thus' producing a. flash at the end of the car to attract the attention to those in the rear. Referring tothe drawings 1 designates .the base of a frame upon which is mounted the actuating structure for the several signals and there is upstanding from the plate a. strut 2 provided with a shoulder 3 upon which rests the bottom of one of the sides of a cover 4. Thiscover 4 is held to the base 1 by means of screws 5 or'any other suitable means and forms a protecting shell for the operating devices and also Serves to support lights 'referred to hereinafter,

Upstanding from one of the long edges of the base 1 are several standards 6 which 4provlde journals in the upper ends thereof for a shaft 7 which runs substantially the full length of the base 1. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4L there are several signals which may be given, a separateactuating device being provided for each signal and a description of any one of these actuating devices will be suiicient for all.

Pivotally mounted upon the shaft? is an arm 8 one end of which extends beneath the shaft 7 and is pivotally connected to a link 9 which is in turn pivotally connected to one end 10 of a lever 11. The lever 11 is pivoted as at 12 to a support 13 rigid with the base 1 and the lever 11 has the end J4 thereof pivotally connected to a link 15l which is pivotally connected to a plate supporting arm 1G. One end of this plate supporting arm is pivoted to the shaft 7 as seen in Fig.

5. Secured to the 'upper portion of the member 16 is a cushioning device 17 which may be made of cork, rubber or any other suitable material and this cushioning device is to ease the descent of Signaling plate 18 which is Iliade rigidl with thearm' 8 and is located above the arm 16.

In order that the plate supporting arm 1Gv being two opposing motions.

letter R, S or L as the case mayy be, letters standing for the words right, slow and consequently raising plate 18 to the dotted line position inasmuch as arm 8 which is actuated by link 9 .as the lever 11 rotates is rigid with the plate. Should the plate 18 rest upon the cushion or upon the arm 16 so as to become stuck, it will be read ily understood that when the magnet is energized there is a tendency to lower the arm and at the same time to raise the plate, there This signal plate may be made of any material such as Celluloid and has-printed thereon eitherhthe t ese and left respectively. We prefer to make the body of the plate black, while the letter is left white, although, of course, any color scheme can be employed.

By referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the plate supporting arm 16 is provided with two legs 22between which the arm'8 may pass when the plate 18 is raised while the forward end is reduced as at 23 to -receive the link 15 and also to reduce the weight.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen thatA lnism associated with adjacent lights.

'By referring to Fig. 6, there will be seen a convenient wiring diagram for actuating the The battery 24 has eX- p -tendingtherefrom a common wire 25 which connects to one side of each of the mag,

lights and magnets.

nets L, S and'lt. A three-point switch 26 has contact members Z', s and fr which control the lights Z2, s2 and r2 respectively. A three-way switch indicated generally at 27 has three contact members Z, s and r which are adapted totengage a contact member 28 which is connected by vmeans of wire 29 to the other side o'f battery 24. Under ordinaryv conditions in the daytime when no need of a light is felt, if it is desired to give a signal that an operator is going to the left switch 28 will be thrown to the left to engage the contact member Z at which time the following circuit will be closed. Current will flow from battery 24, wire 25, magnet L designating diagramn'iatically the magnet 19 to the right of Fig. 3, wire 3l., contact Z, switch 28, wire 29 back to the other side of battery 24, thus,energizing the magnet which controls theplate giving the designation corresponding to left. Similarly should switch 28 be thrown to engage the contact member fr' current would flow In the following circuit: battery 24, wire 25, magnet R designattacts last mentioned ingy diagrammatically the magnet 19 at the left of Fig. 3, wire 33, contact r, switch 28, wire 29 back to battery, thus energizing the plate cari-yin the designation indicating right. Should it be desiredto give a signal to those inthe rear that the driver is going to slow up, the switch 28 may be thrown to engage the prong contacts at which time the 'following circuit will be closed: battery 24, y

wire 25, magnet S designatingthe central magnet of F ig. 3 diagrammatically, wire 34,'

contact s," switch 28, wire 29 back to battery, thus actuating the magnet controlling the plate bearing the designation corre` spending to slow.

YVhen the device is to be used at night, the switch 26 maybe moved to the dotted line position and the circuit ofthe light corresponding to the indicating mechanism for signaling left will be given, it being understood that the other circuits are identical with this circuit. Should the switch 28 be thrown tol engage contact Z after the switch 26 had been thrown in dotted line position, the following circuits will be closed: battery 24, wire 25, magnet L, wire 31, contact Z having prongs 30. From wire 25, current will flow overv wire 32, lamp Z2, wire 36, switch contact Z to wire 35, back to contact Z, switch 28, wire 29 to battery. O

From this, it will be understood that the lainp Z2 andthe magnet L are placed in multiple, but it will be understood that before the magnet has had time to actuate the mechanical structure associated with the plate g 18, the light Z2`will be incandescent and will therefore flash up before a driver in the rear and show a bright light before the plate 18 has had time to be raised tosignaling posi tion. Current passes from wire 25, through lamp r2 or s2, point 1" or s', and through an insulated portion of switch 26 and thence to contact r or s, whenever switch member 28 is in engagement with either of said conbeen closed) The handle of switch 26 comprises several portions insulated from each other in order that the lamp circuits may be independent.

The three-point switch indicated gener ally at 27 may be of any approved construction, and no further description-of the same is deemed necessary. This switch may be located at any convenient part of the steering wheel, preferably at the rim and can be operated by one` linger.

We claim:

In a signaling device, a plurality of magnets and armatures therefor, a signal operl ated mechanically by the armature of each magnet, independent circuits for each magnet, a switch having a contact member con nected with each circuit, a plurality of lamps corresponding in number with the magnets and having independent circuits, each i (switch 26 having first i yinnemen circuit having permnent connection with In testimony whereof' we 'affix our signaone of the aforesaid Contact members of the tures' 1n presence of two Witnesses.

switch, and a device having n plurality of THEODORE P. LiM\TCAS'1`ER.l Contact members each connected with a JAMES L. STRUTHERS.

separate lamp circuit and arranged to simu- XVtnesses: taneously disconnect a11` of the lamp circults THOMAS H. WALSH, .from the Contact 4members first mentioned. HENRY J. NOLAN. 

